Bracing for impact

The road that led to a hard-hitting reality check

9:14 AM,
Jan. 19, 2014

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I have always been a perfectionist, setting unreasonable standards for myself: My college adviser at Penn State told me it would be almost impossible to graduate in three years with the degree I was pursuing. To prove him wrong, I did it in 2½, as valedictorian.

At 21, I moved across the country with no safety net and landed an amazing job in Beverly Hills doing exactly what I wanted. However, I didn't agree with my boss' ethics. To make a point, I opened my own bi-coastal business and secured twice as many clients as she had, doing it completely on my own terms.